The Detroit Pistons have built a young core that should allow the franchise to be a consistent playoff contender in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
That is, assuming Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon can keep that young core under contract and in the Motor City. Two of the players in that group, center Jalen Duren and guard Jaden Ivey, will be extension-eligible soon. However, Langdon wants no part in discussing the status of negotiations regarding rookie scale extensions for the duo at this time.
Langdon made that much clear during a recent interview with Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
Pistons GM Remains Frustratingly Quiet on Extensions for Duren and Ivey
In what seems to be an indicator of how he will handle any and all questions concerning contract negotiations, Langdon immediately shot down the topic when asked what fans should expect those conversations to look like.
“I’ll never speak to that," Langdon replied. "We’re happy to have them as Pistons, and we’ll continue to help them be the best possible versions of themselves and reach their potential. I thought (Duren) had a tremendous year last season, especially in the second half when we made the run. And (Ivey) got off to a great start before getting injured. We’re excited to have them both back at the start of this season."
While it is understandable why Langdon would not want to negotiate contracts publicly with his young core, there shouldn't be a reason for concern among Pistons fans that Detroit would ever let the two walk as free agents. It is rare for any players to turn down a rookie-scale extension, as their current team can offer them a much larger contract than the rest of the league would be able to.
When you look at their production alone, there is no reason why the Pistons would ever make the pair feel as if the franchise is hesitant to offer them an extension.
This past season, Duren averaged a double-double with averages of 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per game. On the other hand, top-five pick Jaden Ivey has impressed as well when available, averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 30 games.
Those aren't the type of contributors that you let leave your franchise. Langdon is a smart basketball mind and was a great player in his own right, though. He knows this as well as anyone. It may be quite some time before both deals get done, but in the end, both Duren and Ivey belong in Detroit long-term, and Langdon would be smart to realize that.